'Mama' director Andy Muschietti takes on Stephen King's 'The Jaunt'

[Whiskey Tango]

EXCLUSIVE: Plan B has optioned feature rights to The Jaunt, the 1981 Stephen King short story about teleportation travel. The company has attached Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti, the duo behind the 2013 horror film Mama. It’s early days, but this will be developed for Andy to direct. Plan B hasn’t set it with a studio yet, but principals Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner have a first-look deal with New Regency and RatPac

King first published the short story in Twilight Zone Magazine, but gained prominence in his short-story anthology Skeleton Crew, published in 1985. It’s a futuristic tale that takes place in the 24th century, as a father explains the ground rules for “Jaunting,” a form of teleportation the family will be using shortly to go to Mars. The key is that travelers must be under anesthesia for the short journey, or terrible things happen to the mind of those being jaunted around the solar system. Time stands still and one’s brain implodes with too much time to think in an absence of external stimulation. Bad things happen.

Expect good things to happen fast on this one. As is his usual practice, King grants a 90-day option period for $1, contingent on a writer being set, and concrete moves made in development at a pace that shows the author knows the film company is serious.

http://deadline.com/2015/03/stephen-king-the-jaunt-plan-b-andy-muschietti-1201391672/

Stephen King’s “The Jaunt” is probably one of his creepiest short stories, and it’s all because of its especially unsettling ending. It’s a futuristic sci-fi tale, and it’s about a family taking a trip using a teleportation system—known as a “Jaunt”—and the bulk of the text covers the father explaining how a Jaunt works to his children. The most important thing, though, is that you can’t be awake during the Jaunt, because…well, like we said, the ending is the best part. It’s a quick story and not much “happens,” so while it’s interesting on paper, it seems like an odd choice for a movie—especially since the ending has…sorry, we’ll stop bringing it up.

On the other hand, it’s a Stephen King story, so that makes it perfect for a movie—at least as far as movie studios are concerned. According to Deadline, Plan B has just picked up the rights to film an adaptation of “The Jaunt,” with Mama‘s Andy and Barbara Muschietti writing. Andy Muschietti is also set to direct. With “The Jaunt” becoming a film soon, it will now be joining an exclusive club that also includes everything else Stephen King has ever written/will ever write (other than the Dark Tower books).

http://www.avclub.com/article/mamas-andy-muschietti-direct-adaptation-stephen-ki-216573

 

[Whiskey Tango]

I will ask those who have read the story not to spoil it for those who haven't, and for those who haven't to grab a copy of Skeleton Crew and read it straight away. It's an AWESOME short story (one of King's best, imo) and you should definitely experience it for yourself rather than have it ruined by someone else.

 

[DarkKnight88]

Dave Erickson Inks MRC TV Overall Deal, Sets ‘The Jaunt’ Adaptation – Deadline

Erickson is developing The Jaunt, based on the 1981 Stephen King short story originally published in The Twilight Zone Magazine. The Jaunt explores a future where teleportation, called ‘jaunting,’ has become a commonplace, if still dangerous and mysterious, technology.

Sad to see Mushietti no longer doing this as a feature film.

I don't know if this short story justifies an entire TV series!

 

[Schlosser85]

The short story is very unsettling, but I'm curious how you stretch a whole movie out of it.